Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in Nebraska

Counties in Nebraska by poverty rate

Keya Paha County had the highest poverty rate of 93 counties in 2021, at 19.3%. Sarpy County had the lowest, at 5.5%. The median was 10.9% and the figure for Nebraska was 10.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest19.3Keya Paha County
Lowest5.5Sarpy County
Median10.993 counties
Nebraska10.5History

Top 40 counties, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

Keya Paha CountyKeya Paha County: 19.3 %19.3Thurston CountyThurston County: 19 %19Loup CountyLoup County: 15.6 %15.6Sioux CountySioux County: 15.5 %15.5Dawes CountyDawes County: 15.3 %15.3Garden CountyGarden County: 15 %15Boyd CountyBoyd County: 14.1 %14.1Hayes CountyHayes County: 14 %14Rock CountyRock County: 14 %14Dundy CountyDundy County: 13.9 %13.9Blaine CountyBlaine County: 13.7 %13.7Scotts Bluff CountyScotts Bluff County: 13.6 %13.6Morrill CountyMorrill County: 13.5 %13.5Johnson CountyJohnson County: 13.3 %13.3Sheridan CountySheridan County: 13.3 %13.3Hitchcock CountyHitchcock County: 13.2 %13.2Arthur CountyArthur County: 13 %13Franklin CountyFranklin County: 13 %13Greeley CountyGreeley County: 13 %13Wayne CountyWayne County: 12.5 %12.5Pawnee CountyPawnee County: 12.4 %12.4Knox CountyKnox County: 12.3 %12.3Frontier CountyFrontier County: 12 %12Gage CountyGage County: 12 %12Hall CountyHall County: 12 %12Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 12 %12Cheyenne CountyCheyenne County: 11.9 %11.9Furnas CountyFurnas County: 11.9 %11.9Kimball CountyKimball County: 11.9 %11.9Thomas CountyThomas County: 11.8 %11.8Adams CountyAdams County: 11.7 %11.7Douglas CountyDouglas County: 11.7 %11.7Keith CountyKeith County: 11.6 %11.6Nemaha CountyNemaha County: 11.5 %11.5McPherson CountyMcPherson County: 11.4 %11.4Richardson CountyRichardson County: 11.4 %11.4Valley CountyValley County: 11.4 %11.4Webster CountyWebster County: 11.4 %11.4Garfield CountyGarfield County: 11.3 %11.3Box Butte CountyBox Butte County: 11.2 %11.2
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Keya Paha County19.3+2 pts
2Thurston County19+0.8 pts
3Loup County15.6+0.5 pts
4Sioux County15.5+0.2 pts
5Dawes County15.3+0.6 pts
6Garden County15+1.1 pts
7Boyd County14.1+1.2 pts
8Hayes County14-0.7 pts
8Rock County14+0.7 pts
10Dundy County13.9+1.7 pts
11Blaine County13.7+0.4 pts
12Scotts Bluff County13.6+1.2 pts
13Morrill County13.5+1 pts
14Johnson County13.3+1 pts
14Sheridan County13.3-0.5 pts
16Hitchcock County13.2+1.2 pts
17Arthur County13+0.7 pts
17Franklin County13+2.6 pts
17Greeley County13+0.8 pts
20Wayne County12.5+3 pts
21Pawnee County12.4-0.3 pts
22Knox County12.3-1.3 pts
23Frontier County12-1 pts
23Gage County12+3.5 pts
23Hall County12+0.2 pts
23Lancaster County12+2.6 pts
27Cheyenne County11.9+1.9 pts
27Furnas County11.9+1.9 pts
27Kimball County11.9+0.9 pts
30Thomas County11.8-0.5 pts
31Adams County11.7+1.5 pts
31Douglas County11.7+1.9 pts
33Keith County11.6-0.1 pts
34Nemaha County11.5-0.3 pts
35McPherson County11.4-1.7 pts
35Richardson County11.4+1.9 pts
35Valley County11.4+0.2 pts
35Webster County11.4+1.2 pts
39Garfield County11.3-0.3 pts
40Box Butte County11.2+1.7 pts
40Wheeler County11.2-1.2 pts
42Cherry County11.1-0.3 pts
42Deuel County11.1+0.8 pts
42Lincoln County11.1+1.7 pts
42Sherman County11.1-0.3 pts
46Brown County10.9+0.1 pts
46Holt County10.90 pts
46Red Willow County10.9+1.4 pts
49Buffalo County10.7+1.2 pts
49Dawson County10.7+2.1 pts
51Custer County10.6+0.8 pts
51Dodge County10.6+0.9 pts
53Nance County10.5-0.9 pts
54Dakota County10.4+0.5 pts
55Banner County10.3+0.2 pts
56Pierce County10.1+1.9 pts
56Saline County10.1+2.1 pts
58Antelope County10-0.4 pts
58Burt County10-1.5 pts
58Grant County10+0.8 pts
61Clay County9.9+0.8 pts
61Logan County9.9+0.6 pts
61Nuckolls County9.9+0.1 pts
64Harlan County9.7-0.2 pts
64Jefferson County9.7-0.2 pts
64Madison County9.7-0.9 pts
67Boone County9.6+0.9 pts
68Perkins County9.4-0.6 pts
69Otoe County9.3+0.9 pts
70Merrick County9-0.6 pts
71Fillmore County8.9+0.4 pts
71Thayer County8.9-0.9 pts
73Chase County8.8+0.6 pts
73Phelps County8.8-2.5 pts
75Gosper County8.6+0.7 pts
76Cuming County8.5+0.6 pts
76York County8.5-0.8 pts
78Butler County8.3+0.8 pts
78Colfax County8.3+0.1 pts
80Howard County8.1-0.7 pts
81Dixon County8+0.1 pts
82Cedar County7.9-0.6 pts
83Platte County7.8+1.2 pts
83Seward County7.8+1 pts
85Kearney County7.7+0.1 pts
86Saunders County7.3+1.6 pts
87Stanton County7.1+0.2 pts
88Hooker County7-0.9 pts
89Hamilton County6.70 pts
90Polk County6.6-0.7 pts
91Cass County6.4+0.5 pts
92Washington County6.3+1 pts
93Sarpy County5.5+0.6 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People living in families or alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), all ages.

Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2021/2021-state-and-county/est21all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Rank Counties in Nebraska by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Keya Paha County, with 19.3% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Sarpy County, with 5.5% in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Nebraska: more rankings